OMAHA, Neb. (KCAU) — Navigator CO2 has announced that they are canceling their carbon dioxide pipeline project.

The Texas-based company made the announcement in a Friday release stating that due to the unpredictable nature of regulatory and government processes in states such as Iowa and South Dakota, they are canceling the Heartland Greenway Project.

The CEO of Navigator, Matt Vining, said, “As good stewards of capital and responsible managers of people, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Heartland Greenway project. We are disappointed that we will not be able to provide services to our customers and thank them for their continued support.”

Vining also said, “I am proud that throughout this endeavor, our team maintained a collaborative, high integrity, and safety-first approach and we thank them for their tireless efforts. We also thank all the individuals, trade associates, labor organizations, landowners, and elected officials who supported us and carbon capture in the Midwest.”

KCAU 9 reached out to Navigator to ask what would happen to the voluntary easements the company already obtained. Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, Navigator VP of Government & Public Affairs, said that the option agreements they signed with landowners and those options will expire after a few years. In addition, Burns Thompson said they “do not have plans for another CO2 pipeline project within this footprint.”

After the announcement, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw said that carbon capture and storage (CCS) has te support of the IRFA and that they have been disappointed with the disinformation that has been spread. Below is his full statement.

IRFA support CCS projects as the best way to align ethanol production with the increasing demand for low carbon fuels both at home and abroad. CCS is the essential key to unlocking the 100-billion-gallon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market for agriculture, in the long term. If realized, the SAF market would trigger the largest rural economic boom since the introduction of corn hybrids. It is not an overstatement to say that decisions made over the next few months will likely place agriculture on one of two paths. One would lead to 1990s stagnation as corn production exceeds demand, and the other opens new market opportunities larger than anything we’ve ever seen before. IRFA will fight for a prosperous farming future.

Over the last year, we have been disappointed with the amount of disinformation that has been spread among the public and the regulators across multiple states. That does not happen by accident. Rather, it is being pushed by groups who oppose modern agriculture and whose stated mission is to destroy farming as we know it. While we respect Navigator’s decision, IRFA will continue to support multiple other CCS projects and we expect ultimate success.

Monte Shaw, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director

Meanwhile, opponents to the pipelines are claiming victory. The Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement board chair and family farmer Barb Kalbach said in a statement that with this victory, the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) needs to deny the Summit Carbon Solutions CO2 pipeline. Kalbach’s full statement can be read below.

This is a huge victory for Iowans! It’s refreshing to have someone listen to everyday folks. 80% of Iowans don’t want CO2 pipelines, and the reasons to oppose them just keep stacking up – first they take public money, then they come for farmland, now they want our water – all so they can make a buck at our expense. Now we need the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) to start listening and deny Summit Carbon Solutions permit. These pipelines are a bad deal, and the IUB has no business approving a permit for Summit, especially without adequate safety regulations.

Barb Kalbach, Iowa CCI Board Chair

Another CO2 pipeline, a spokesperson from Summit Carbon Solutions released a statement, saying in part that they are still planning to continue with the project, adding they have reached voluntary agreements for nearly 75% of their route. The company’s full statement can be found below.

Summit Carbon Solutions welcomes and is well positioned to add additional plants and communities to our project footprint. We remain as committed to our project as the day we announced it. It’s not often you get the opportunity to positively impact an industry that touches every farmer and rural community across the Midwest. We have reached voluntary agreements along nearly 75% of our proposed route – we are pleased that the vast majority of landowners and farmers across the Midwest embrace the project. We look forward to building a generational asset that will create new markets for the ethanol industry and farmers.

Summit Carbon Solutions spokesperson

This news comes a month after Navigator announced that they pulled their land teams out of South Dakota due to the project’s permit application being denied by the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission.

Another carbon capture pipeline from Summit Carbon Solutions also had its project permit denied in South Dakota.